As a business owner, it’s your duty to offer customers and patrons reasonable protection through adequate security measures. There are a number of minimal standards businesses should adhere to in order to make certain they are offering the upmost protection.
All businesses have a responsibility to make certain their patrons feel safe; however, some types of businesses are more prone to perpetrators than others. Specific types of businesses that should consider heavy security measures include apartment complexes, concert venues, shopping malls, college dorms, hotels, motels, train stations, airports, banks and ATM locations.
Typically, in any inadequate security case, crime victims believe that the establishment or property owner did not provide adequate protection to keep them safe.
Although a business cannot guarantee your safety, they can make you feel as safe as possible through various measures, such as:
- Installing proper lighting in the business as well as the parking lot.
- Installing visible security cameras.
- Hiring security guards (in some circumstances).
- Hiring sufficient personnel.
- If there are stairs, they must be well lit.
When an inadequate lawsuit arises, the person must establish fault on the part of the business. For example, as indicated above, a business can’t guarantee safety. However, if a crime occurs and the business knew about previous crimes in the same area or perhaps were aware they needed better lighting in the parking lot and did nothing to correct the problem, then they could be held liable.
The judge will look at several issues to determine fault, including whether management aware of crime in the area and if the establishment knew that they were lacking certain safety measures but did nothing to fix the issue. Basically, a plaintiff has to prove negligence on the part of the business.
As a business owner, taking preventative measures to ensure the safety of your customers is not only good business, it’s also good for avoiding costly lawsuits!